10 Discontinued Cars We're Going to Miss

Last week we looked at cars that deservedly got the ax in 2013. This week we'll be a lot kinder because we're looking at the models that are disappearing altogether or making way for generation 2014, but that we'd love to have in our garage.

BMW 1-Series

BMW 1-Series

Make our 1-Series the fantastic 135is, with a lovely in-line six-cylinder good for 320 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque and mated to a perfect six-speed manual. That muscle is paired with the truest iteration of an old-school BMW chassis (think 1990s-era 3-Series), one that feels more driver-focused than anything in the company's lineup today, save perhaps the outgoing M3.

It helps that the 1-Series sits on a short wheelbase (6 inches shorter than the current 3-Series) with the rubber pushed to the corners so it handles superbly both on the track and the street.

With the 1-Series on its way out, one could make a strong argument for either waiting for its replacement, the new 2-Series, or opting instead for the forthcoming Audi A3 as the compact German luxury sedan of choice. But if a dealer is itching to move the last of his 2013 1-Series inventory, there could be a deal or two to be had on this car. And you might envision a day a decade from now when in-line sixes in subcompact sedans will be very hard to find. So buy, use gently, and hang onto this Bimmer.

Mustang Boss 302

Mustang Boss 302

The Boss isn't coming back in this body style, which is about to be replaced by the redesigned 2015 Mustang. It's likely we won't see a new pony bearing the name for a number of years. When and if there's a new Boss, it's hard to imagine the redone Mustang with modern rear suspension will feature quite the same anachronistically endearing qualities as the 2013 Boss that's smoking fat 19-inch Pirellis.

Yes, this is a muscle car, but never has a 444-hp V-8 felt as tractable, even with that solid truck-like axle astern. You can and will experience that axle's quirks, especially if you decide to peel out frequently, when your Boss will want to hop all over the tarmac, barely hewing straight. Likewise, uneven surfaces and rolling terrain can make the rear end squirm. But this, too, is part of the Boss's charms. And who knows if any future Boss would come with a suspension as tight on the track yet as friendly as your favorite hound?

What's so unexpected, considering how well this car behaves at speed (and it is a very easy car to drive exceedingly fast), is that the Boss 302 is almost placid when driving around town. It doesn't idle roughly. Clutch work is heavier than in an Accord, sure, but hardly taxing on the quadriceps. And though outward visibility for this era of Stang isn't superb, finding the corners of the car in a parking lot isn't a mighty chore either.

One logical, if unoriginal thought: Last-of-a-kind Boss 302s, especially one-offs like the Laguna Seca edition, are going to be collector cars. The trick is being able to afford one and choosing not to abuse it. Which will be mighty hard.